Global democracy suffered a significant regression in 2017, according to The Economist's latest annual Democracy Index published today. The Index – which assesses the state of democracy in 165 independent states and two territories in 2017 – has recorded the worst performance since the aftermath of the global financial and economic crisis in 2010. Not a single region recorded an improvement in its average score in 2017 compared with 2016.

The media loves conflict. It can often seem like war is everywhere. And, although there are still many bitter conflicts around the world with serious impacts locally and internationally, the fact is, things used to be a lot worse. This chart from University of Uppsala’s Department of Peace and Conflict Research Unit shows that deaths in battle are low in comparison to almost any period since the Second World War.

According to Issues Online, the number of people today aged 60 and over has doubled since 1980. The number of people aged 80 years will almost quadruple to 395 million between now and 2050. Within the next five years, the number of adults aged 65 and over will outnumber children under the age of five. By 2050, these older adults will outnumber all children under the age of 14. The majority of older people live in low- or middle-income countries. By 2050, this number will have increased to 80%.

This is an evolving synthesis of key developments and trends around habitat change.

January 2018

China's Sponge City Initiative, launched in 2015, invests in projects that focus on absorbing floodwater. The current aim of the initiative is that, by 2020, 80 percent of urban areas in China will re-use at least 70 percent of their rainwater. The 30 cities included in the initiative have received more than $12 billion in funding for sponge projects. For example, the Lingang district in Shanghai is piloting an ecologically friendly alternative to traditional flood defences and drainage systems in the coastal city which faces long-term risks from rising sea levels.

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